Monday, March 3, 2014

Today is T-Day for Emily; let's make sure she roars

T-Day is transplant day. Emily will receive a bone marrow transplant to end her battle with acute myeloid leukemia at the Duke University Medical Center. For a year and a half, AML has taken over Emily's body and dominated the Friars' life. Parents Kelly and Terry Friar are with Emily round-the-clock -- at least one parent, that is, as the other is with her younger sis, Caitlyn.

The Chesapeake family has been in Durham, N.C., for the past two weeks preparing for this day they hope will mean no more radiation and chemo for Emily, a smile-that-will-light-up-the-room kind of kid who likes New Direction, American Girl dolls, zoos and roller coasters.

"Pretty typical 9-year-old girl stuff," Kelly says.

Only typical for Emily since December 2012 has been IVs in her arm watching out the window while others play in the snow we so rarely get in Hampton Roads. Typical is having a cumbersome blinking machine follow you wherever you watch, and wearing a mask to avoid the germs so dangerous to a compromised immune system.

But today is T-Day, and we encourage all on Emily's team -- which includes LadySwish -- to get behind her, show support (wear blue/green, the team colors) and ROAR! In the past few weeks, Emily's Facebook page has exploded with well wishes from Sarajevo, Japan, Bahrain, Mount Kilimanjaro. . .

We send her ours from Virginia, Emily. Prayers, support, hugs -- today is T-Day. At last.

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About Us

Virginia-based Vicki L. Friedman, winner of the 2013 Mel Greenberg Media Award, and Paul White are LadySwish, a blog dedicated to the 13 Division I basketball teams in the state. We love the sport -- its coaches, its players, its fans and its quirks. Both of us are journalists with more than four decades of experience. Our passion fuels us to deliver our best to our fans and followers every day.